AMPOWER Academy

Additive
Manufacturing
Training

The independent Additive Manufacturing training program powered by AMPOWER

Get access to the test course
Online Additive Manufacturing Training

Additive Manufacturing Training

Self-paced online learning programs and hands-on live trainings

Online learning programs

Self-paced Additive Manufacturing training programs covering the most important topics on the AM market such as technology fundamentals, working principles, typical applications and current trends. The content is explained via illustrations, videos and external content in order to ensure an optimal learning experience. All courses include a wide range of examples from different industries such as automotive, aviation and medical. The online learning programs are targeted towards managers, designers and other professionals that are getting started with Additive Manufacturing. 

Live trainings

In-depth live trainings to discuss your applications allowing you to experience different technologies. All live courses are based on the online learning programs and are thus a good opportunity to dive deeper into the most important topics. Each live training can be held on-site or online. The Additive Manufacturing training programs are delivered by AM experts with several years experience in applying the technology. You can choose from several pre-configured standard courses or configure a course based on specific requirements. 
Go to AMPOWER online learning
Go to AMPOWER live training
Additive Manufacturing Training: AMEXCI Discussion

wHY AMPOWER ACADEMY

Good reasons for the AMPOWER Academy

The authors combine over 50 years of experience in Additive Manufacturing training as well as over 300 international customer projects and trained more than 500 managers and engineers worldwide. The online learning program is the first of its kind that combines self-made videos with best-in-class content. The focus is on industrial Additive Manufacturing and covers all technologies and industries.

Get access to the online learning
  • over 5 hours of video content
  • broad coverage of all relevent technologies
  • Further readings and downloads for each course
  • Focus on industrial usage and hands-on tips
  • Complete independence and transparency
  • Reliable content with regular updates

Quick Access to our Additive Manufacturing Trainings

Dive into one of our online learning programs

AM Fundamentals
Part Identification
Metal Technologies
Polymer Technologies
Go to AMPOWER online learning

What is included in our Additive Manufacturing trainings

Additive Manufacturing Training Content: Process Categories

Technologies

Broad coverage of all relevant technologies

The courses focus on the most important metal and polymer technologies such as Laser Powder Bed Fusion and Metal Binder Jetting. Upcoming technologies are constantly evaluated and will be added to the different courses once they have reached a certain maturity in order to ensure that each Additive Manufacturing training stays up to date. For each technology, the working principle, typical characteristics and materials are presented together with leading suppliers.

Applications

Typical applications from different industries

Our online learning programs and live trainings include a wide range of application examples from different industries such as mechanical engineering, aerospace and the energy sector. Each case studies includes background information regarding the technology, materials and companies involved.

Additive Manufacturing Training Applications
Additive Manufacturing Training Actionable Advice

Guidelines

Actionable advice you can apply to your situation

Our Additive Manufacturing trainings contain guidelines you can apply in your company such as typical characteristics of the most common technologies or the part identification methodology. Additionally, you can apply the methodologies from the online learning programs during a live course. 

Get Access to our Additive Manufacturing trainings

You can access the online learning programs as individual users, teams or entire companies. Get access by selecting one of our plans. 

Go to Pricing Plans

You need guidance for Additive Manufacturing training?

Contact Us

Be successful with the AM Academy: Stay up to date

Site Menu

Courses

Account

©Copyright 2024 AM Academy GmbH. All rights reserved.
Sinter-based AM technologies and process chain

Sinter-based AM - a technology overview

Many different printing technologies - one sintering process

The sinter-based AM (SBAM) technologies have, as the name suggests, the sintering process in common. In this process, the printed green part is consolidated into a dense part and receives its final properties. The green part can be printed in advance using different technologies.They all have in common that metal powder is bound to the desired shape by a binder. The best-known printing technologies include Binder Jetting and Filament Material Extrusion.

In this section, you learn everything about the sinter-based AM  process chain and get an overview of the different printing technologies.

Goal and structure of this course

This course is aimed at engineers, designers and other professionals that are working closely with sinter-based AM technologies. The goal is to cover the most important aspects that will enable engineers and designers to fully grasp the capabilities and technical limitations of the printing technologies and the sintering process to succeed in technology selection and part design. Besides going through the course from the beginning until the end, this course can also act as a constant source of knowledge while working on AM projects. 

The course is structured into the following sections.

This section will start with an overview of the sinter-based AM process chain and its printing technologies, followed by a technology deep dive into the most important aspects of the BJT technology, followed by a closer look at the debinding and sintering step also including sintering simulation .

The second section will provide an overview of the different materials that are available as well as part characteristics that can be achieved with the BJT process and typical methods for quality assurance. Finally, several common defects in the BJT process are presented. 

The last section will act as a guideline for designers. Besides generally describing the process when designing for Additive Manufacturing, actionable restrictions and guidelines for the BJT process are provided. The final section will present several design examples from different industries. 

What you will find in this section

Sinter-based AM process chain

From digital model to finished part

Data preparation

Simulation to compensate the deformation during the sintering step, nesting of parts and definition of printing parameters

Printing

Through various printing processes, different feedstocks such as metal powders, filaments, pellets or dispersions are processed into green parts

Unpacking

Unpacking of fragile green parts needs to be done carefully and is typically a manual process.

Debinding

Debinding describes the process of removing the binder which results in a brown part

Sintering

To reach the structural integrity of a metal part, a sinter process is required. The powder particles fuse together to a coherent, solid structure via a mass transport that occurs at the atomic scale driven via diffusional forces.

The brown part shrinks ~13-21 % in each direction.

The process chain of sinter-based technologies differs from other AM Technologies. Especially the post-printing processes (debinding and sintering) are crucial to achieve the intended mechanical properties.

Technology principle

How does Binder Jetting work?

Binder Jetting is a powder based Additive Manufacturing technology in which a liquid polymer binder is selectively deposited onto the powder bed binding the metal particles and forming a green body.

The metal powder is applied to a build platform in a typical layer thickness of 40 µm to 100 µm. Subsequently a modified 2D print head apply a binder selectively onto the powder bed. Depending on machine technology a hardening or curing process of the binder is performed in parallel for each layer and/or at the end of the whole build. During the in-situ curing process a heat source is used to solidify the binder and form a solid polymer – metal powder composite.

Working Principle of Binder Jetting

Afterwards the build platform moves downward by the amount of one layer thickness and a new layer of powder is applied. Again, the liquid binder is deposited and hardened in the required regions of the next layer to form the green body. This process is repeated until the complete part is printed. After the complete printing process is finished the parts have to be removed from the “powder cake” meaning the surrounding loose but densified powder. To improve the removal of the excess powder from the green body often brushes or a blasting gun with air pressure are used.

To create a dense metal part the 3D printed green body has to be post-processed in a debinding and sintering process. Similar to the metal injection molding process BJT parts are placed in a high temperature furnace, where the binder is burnt out and the remaining metal particles are sintered together. The sintering results in densification of the 3D printed green body to a metal part with high densities of 97 % to 99,5%, dependent of the material.

Printing Technologies

Metal Binder Jetting

Binder Jetting is a powder based Additive Manufacturing technology in which a liquid polymer binder is selectively deposited onto the powder bed binding the metal particles and forming a green body.

The metal powder is applied to a build platform in a typical layer thickness of 40 µm to 100 µm. Subsequently a modified 2D print head apply a binder selectively onto the powder bed. Depending on machine technology a hardening or curing process of the binder is performed in parallel for each layer and/or at the end of the whole build. During the in-situ curing process a heat source is used to solidify the binder and form a solid polymer – metal powder composite.

Working Principle of Binder Jetting

Material Extrusion

Binder Jetting is a powder based Additive Manufacturing technology in which a liquid polymer binder is selectively deposited onto the powder bed binding the metal particles and forming a green body.

The metal powder is applied to a build platform in a typical layer thickness of 40 µm to 100 µm. Subsequently a modified 2D print head apply a binder selectively onto the powder bed. Depending on machine technology a hardening or curing process of the binder is performed in parallel for each layer and/or at the end of the whole build. During the in-situ curing process a heat source is used to solidify the binder and form a solid polymer – metal powder composite.

Working Principle of Binder Jetting

Mold Slurry Deposition

Binder Jetting is a powder based Additive Manufacturing technology in which a liquid polymer binder is selectively deposited onto the powder bed binding the metal particles and forming a green body.

The metal powder is applied to a build platform in a typical layer thickness of 40 µm to 100 µm. Subsequently a modified 2D print head apply a binder selectively onto the powder bed. Depending on machine technology a hardening or curing process of the binder is performed in parallel for each layer and/or at the end of the whole build. During the in-situ curing process a heat source is used to solidify the binder and form a solid polymer – metal powder composite.

Working Principle of Binder Jetting

Metal Selective Laser Sintering

Binder Jetting is a powder based Additive Manufacturing technology in which a liquid polymer binder is selectively deposited onto the powder bed binding the metal particles and forming a green body.

The metal powder is applied to a build platform in a typical layer thickness of 40 µm to 100 µm. Subsequently a modified 2D print head apply a binder selectively onto the powder bed. Depending on machine technology a hardening or curing process of the binder is performed in parallel for each layer and/or at the end of the whole build. During the in-situ curing process a heat source is used to solidify the binder and form a solid polymer – metal powder composite.

Working Principle of Binder Jetting